ShutterBugStore

This was shot on the rooftop of the hotel I was staying in, during my trip to Melbourne. The hotel has its rooftop developed into a beautiful garden with even facilities for sunbathing and barbecue.

Eureka Skydeck 88 is Melbourne's tallest observation deck giving a 360 degree view of Melbourne and what makes it special is the world's only 'edge' experience. Its the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere and currently the world’s tallest residential building.

The 'Edge' experience is created by a glass cube which slides 3 metres out from the building suspended almost 300 metres above the ground, with you inside, offering panorama views over Melbourne.

Here is the November full moon.

Photographing the moon is pretty easy. The Nikon Coolpix P80 I used, to take this picture, has a telephoto lens range of about 500mm. The bigger the range of the lens, the bigger the moon. I set the camera in the auto-focus mode and aimed the moon. An important thing is to get the exposure right and for that, I used spot metering. I shot this frame at ISO 100 and with aperture f4.5 for about 200th of a sec. Although I did not have a tripod to steady the camera, I made use of a support to minimize camera shake.

Diwali, perhaps the most important Hindu festival, is the festival of lights. It brings the light of happiness, togetherness, spiritual enlightenment and prosperity for everyone and is marked by fun and fireworks.

Above is a capture of Diwali night sky in Mumbai, dazzling with beautiful fireworks.

This time, I thought of making a picture rather than taking one. My first attempt at Still life photography. Wikipedia defines Still photography as "the depiction of inanimate subject matter, most typically a small grouping of objects that are either human-made or "natural." Still life photography, more so than other types of photography, such as landscape or portraiture, gives the photographer more leeway in the arrangement of design elements within a composition."

I knew I wanted to shoot a glass filled with some liquid. I chose Mirinda over plain water, to add color to an otherwise a plain composition. Also decided to go with three instead of a single glass, to fill the frame. After few trials, I made up my mind about the background, setting, lighting and composition of the image.

The evening showers brought a temporary relief for Mumbaikers from the rising temperatures of the last few days. An incredible photo opportunity presented itself as the rains were accompanied by thunder and lightning. I sat outside on my balcony watching the lightning display its beauty. As I had my camera set for long exposures, I was lucky enough to get few nice shots of nature's fury.

Above is one of those lightnings that connected the clouds with the ground.

Touching the web will destroy it. It is a delicate beauty.

Above is a capture of sun glistening off the early morning dew settled on to the carefully crafted spider web. The spider is in the process of making his masterpiece when caught on camera.

Taking a walk outdoor, experiencing the surroundings with all our senses, is a good way to connect our inner self with the nature.

There are common things around us in the nature, that we tend to overlook because of their familiarity. But they provide as unique photo subjects. Attention to detail brings wonder and it is certainly worth taking a little time for a closer look.

The frame above is a common sight in our gardens. The patterns that are revealed by looking further provides a pleasurable sight. The nature is full of patterns that are well worth seeing.

Every photographer will like to take a go at freezing water droplets. They make a fascinating subject of photography. Even though there is a lot of patience required to get a good shot, it is fun setting up and experimenting different compositions and angles and the whole experience is a satisfying one.

It is when my friend Sadiq pointed out, that I realised the above capture has a striking resemblance to the Fat Man mushroom cloud formed as a result of the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki.

This picture is a top view of a section of my lawn. The night lighting created an interesting green effect.

This capture is about one of the varying moments of transition from night to morning. The sky is clear, cold and quiet. The Pinkish red color, with a hint of orange above it, at the horizon adds beauty to the scene.

This moody picture was captured, just before sunrise, from the high rise I live in Mumbai.

Built in 1903, The Taj Mahal Palace hotel is an architectural marvel and brings together Moorish, Oriental and Florentine styles. Offering panoramic views of the Arabian Sea and the Gateway of India, the hotel is a gracious landmark of the city of Mumbai.

A night view of a section of the hotel captured from the seaside.

It is morning dew. The droplets of dew hanging on the blades of the wet grass is beautiful. The morning sunlight on the crystal drops make them sparky. It is the loveliest hour of the day.

This picture was captured at Munnar, Kerala.

My friend Arun is enjoying a cup of hot coffee on a chilly winter morning at Munnar, Kerala. The steaming hot beverage made a perfect picture with the morning sunlight enhancing the scene.

This was captured at Munnar, Kerala minutes before the sun hid behind the tea mountains. The red, the orange, the yellow, all add to the tranquility of the sunset. Its a work of art only God himself can make that reminds me that there is far more to life than routine. The sunset became more emotional and beautiful as the ball of fire died down.

Mattupetty, a beautiful hill station, is about 10 km drive away from Munnar, Kerala. The panoramic view of the dam surrounded by wooden hills and tea plantations is a treat for the eyes. The hill-side is dotted with pretty waterfalls that add to the attraction of the place.

This is a view from the top of the dam.

This picture of me, looking into the sea, was captured by my friend Sadiq at the Juhu beach, Mumbai. It a was cloudy monsoon afternoon and the sun hid behind the clouds making the sky look misterious. I had the caption ready even before framing it.

I have always believed that it is our conscious or unconscious belief about ourself that create limitation on our abilities. Preventing self limiting thoughts or breaking the beliefs will help us move to the next level in life.

Well said Mr. Woody Allen “I've often said, the only thing standing between me and greatness is me”.

This picture was taken at the Juhu Beach, Mumbai. This kid was afraid to go into the sea, but wanted to play with water. She then dug the mud and make a puddle of water around her, so that she can enjoy her play keeping aside the fear of sea.

There is nothing like taking a walk in the woods. It is like connecting back to nature making one feel calm, relaxed and natural. It reminds the beauty that surrounds us. Trees are patient and resilient and don't make any demands.They don't try to be something they are not. They bloom where they are planted and make the best of what they have. We can learn from each other, grow with each other and help each other breathe.

This picture was shot at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai.

The Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a unique wildlife retreat that lies within the borders of Mumbai city. Most of it is wild and unsafe, but breathtakingly beautiful, filled with dense forests and dotted with sylvan lakes. But it is a fact that tourism has taken toll on the wildlife here.
I tried to capture a Gray Langur reacting angrily to tourists’ gawks.

It was ten minutes past 6 in the evening, when this sunset was captured at Munnar,Kerala. The picture was shot from one of the hilltops from where the nearby mountain ranges were visible. The sun is at the horizon and the intensity of the sunlight scattered in the sky sets a calm and romantic mood.

I shot this picture in front of the Kanheri caves' ticket counter at the Sanjay Gandhi national Park, Mumbai. The dog is looking out of the frame and I found that very interesting.